MPS reaches its highest ever number of female officers

As at the end of September, the MPS said its female officer representation was 30.4 per cent – equating to 10,386 officers – with strong representation of women at all levels across the force.

The MPS said it aims to reach 33 per cent overall female representation by the financial year of 2023/2024.

It added that the target is for 50 per cent of all new recruits to be women. Since April this year, of the 1,678 officers recruited, 44.5 per cent have been female (746 officers).

Latest Home Office figures show there are now 50,364 female officers in place in police forces across England and Wales, the highest number since records began (see https://www.policeprofessional.com/news/number-of-female-officers-tops-50000-for-first-time/).

The MPS said its total workforce has now reached its “greatest strength ever” with 34,112 police officers. Of these, 5,676 (16.6 per cent) are from black, Asian and multiple ethnic heritage communities with 1,215 (3.6 per cent) black officers.

As part of the ongoing work by the MPS’s outreach teams across the capital to attract more diverse candidates, MPS Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley joined Mayor of London Sadiq Khan at one of the events in Stratford town centre on Friday (October 28).

Sir Mark said: “The evidence across the world is that the best companies and organisations benefit from diverse teams.

“It is not only about fairness, it is about being most effective in a complex world.

“I am really pleased that we have achieved our highest ever female representation as part of the Met reaching its greatest ever total number of officers.

“The Met is committed to making progress on all of its recruitment ambitions. We are working hard to replicate this success in attracting those from black and multiple ethnic heritage communities to a career in the Met – so our workforce better reflects the communities we serve.”

Mr Khan said: “This is an important achievement and I’m really pleased that we now have more women police officers than at any other time in London’s history.

“We know that there is further to go to make the Met more representative of the city it serves and to rebuild public confidence and trust in the police – particularly among women and girls and London’s black communities.

“I have set the Met challenging targets in this area and the news that nearly one in three police officers in London are women is a significant step forward.

“These officers will play a big role in helping to restore trust and confidence in the police, improve the support for victims of crime, and build on the success we have made in driving down violence and crime in our city to build a safer London for everyone.”

The MPS said the increase the workforce is reflected in the huge variety of different skills, characteristics and backgrounds of officers – “all bringing their unique strengths and experiences into the job they do for Londoners day in and day out”.

It added: “Many recruits have chosen to join from other professions, from university lecturers to professional athletes and entertainers to accountants and journalists.

“Women are represented at every rank and in every role – whether responding to emergency calls, running complex investigations to tackle serious and organised crime, armed operations, supervising surveillance teams, or supporting victims of crime and abuse – to name but a few.

“With more pathways than ever in place to provide entry routes, the organisation has worked hard to offer an array of initiatives that give women increased flexibility – a factor that research shows is key for women when they are considering career choices, as well as throughout their entire careers.”

In 2019, the MPS became the first police force to offer the chance to work part-time from point of entry, succeeding in attracting an applicant pool of 60 per cent females.

It also offers the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship, which gives new recruits the chance to earn an officer salary while being fully funded for a degree.

The MPS said the first 150 recruits to the programme included a teaching assistant, a former prison officer and an athlete, and 51 per cent of the intake were female, with 29 per cent from black, Asian and multiple ethnic heritage communities.

It added: “Women are also joining via the long established pathways of volunteering and working as a special constable with a view to progressing into the force. Returners and transferee routes also continue to prove popular with females.

“Those who join will enjoy increased maternity benefits as well as the existing host of in-work benefits, including the generous pension and annual leave allowance and continuous professional development opportunities.”

The MPS said it also has a variety of support networks in place, offering specialised advice on subjects ranging from baby loss and adoption to breast cancer and the menopause.

These include a complete support package for new parents, from pregnancy through to return, which includes a dedicated case manager for the individual and their manager, coaching workshops and an app to provide 24/7 support.

“As part of wider flexibility enhancements to support employees at all stages of their Met journey, we have in addition introduced disability and carers’ ‘passports’, as well as a workplace adjustments central hub to deal with requests in the most speedy and efficient manner,” the force added.

The MPS said it aims to expand further throughout 2022 to 2023 as part of the national Police Uplift programme, from government funding and mayoral investment.